Meanwhile, Vasu lay half-sleep in a private room.
He sensed that his presence in the house created a cold war among the happy-go-lucky couple. He closed his eyes and tears rolled down his cheeks. Suddenly he smelled a familiar smell that reminded him of his mother offering aarati to Goddess Kali.
He visioned his parents and a group of sadhus offering sacrifices to Agni as per Hindu tradition.
"Vasu, today is 8th December. We have arranged a Mrityunjay puja on the 13th of December for you, don't lengthen your journey," the words echoed several times and finally faded.
Vasu woke up hurriedly and came out of the room. "Bhaskar Da,….. mom has arranged a puja for me on 13th, I have to go, I have to go…..please send me home." Bhaskar gave a smile and escaping Vasu's sight instructed Anjali to greet him.
"Vasu doesn't worry, we have informed Kaushik Mama. Vinay Da and Jeetu Da are on their way to Guwahati, and… Anjali stopped in the middle as Bhaskar raised his brows and nodded his head, indirectly instructing her not to speak more.
"Vasu you take rest in my room." Holding him by the arms, Bhaskar took Vasu to his room. Vasu tucked into the bed. Suddenly Bhaskar's eyes fell on the calendar.
13th December, showed the table calendar.
"It's amazing. Vasu was missing from the 10th, on the 13th they have arranged a puja, and miraculously he was recovered on the 13th. Is it a coincidence or do these pujas have positive effects on our lives? If luck favors, Vasu will reach home by tonight." Bhaskar couldn't control his wandering thoughts.
"Vinay Da, how far you have reached"
"Hello Bhaskar, we have reached Jagiroad, we'll be at your place by 5:00—5:30(P.M.).Is Vasu OK".
"Ya, he is almost OK. I came a bit worried, what on the hell earth happened to him, I wonder." The conversation ended.
Bhaskar lit a cigarette and moved restlessly around the campus. Bhaskar was an occasional smoker. Anjali was astonished to observe her husband lifting cigarette after cigarette. But she dared not admonish her husband. Myriads of thoughts knocked Bhaskar's mind. How time flew he couldn't even calculate.
No sooner had his mind been able to solve Vasu's riddle, a horn blew at the gate. Bhaskar recovered from his temporary trance, threw the cigarettes, and rushed towards the gate. "Vinay Da, how was the journey?"
"It's OK...."
"See Bhaskar we will leave soon. Kaushik Mama is too much angry rather than worried. We have not let Mami know about the incident."
"Hey, Vasu!!!! How are you" entered Vinay and hugged Vasu tightly.
"So,.... Back to home."
Vasu was not able to believe that finally, he is going home.....the ultimate refuge.
There is an end to every struggle. Every struggle has a cause. But Vasu, being human failed in the hunt for the cause of the struggle which did ended with unsolved enigmas.
Vijay and Jeetu had a short talk with Bhaskar. "Have you enquired any of his friends what the matter was?
"No, in fact, I was shocked when one of his roommates informed me that Vasu is held captive in Basistha Thana.
Thanks to God that Inspector Baruah was so good to us. He didn't even launch the F. I. R. I just managed to bring Vasu out. Now, take him back home. I will soon visit their place"….. Bhaskar gave a pause and raising his brows shook his head, which was his common posture.
"OK, now you three have to leave and see that nobody gets hurt." Bhaskar requested Vinay and Jeetu.
"See Bhaskar Da, Vasu means more to us than he means to you," as Jeetu spoke the words, tears rolled down his cheeks.
It's very tough to control one's emotions when you cannot show it, it becomes tougher when you drive your car from Nagaon to Guwahati keeping the news at the side that Vasu is in jail"... Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Bhaskar gave a fake smile.
"It's over dear, don't shed tears like a girl. The house dimmed in silence and after a couple of hours, the journey started. Breaking the silence of Chilly December night, Vinay drove along the roads of Guwahati. Vasu sat silently on the back seat. He tried to make out what Vinay and Jeetu were talking about, but couldn't concentrate on anything. He closed his eyes. "And then, I saw the man walking barefooted on coal."
The words caught Vasu's attention and he silently kept on listening to the conversation between Jeetu and Vinay.
"What rubbish! Where?" asked Vinay.
"When I went to Moran last year, to visit one of my friends who is the manager of Dee. John Tea Estate took me to a puja offered by the locals of the area where he works. There I saw the horrible sin. For them, doing so, they purify the karmas of their past lives." "I don't believe, there is no scientific explanation to this. How can someone walk in burning coal without getting burn"!!! protested Vinay as he drove.
"Everything is about consciousness. Do you have a heater in your car?"… asked Jeetu.
"No SSSSS, but what relation the car heater has to do with consciousness." Shouted Vinay angrily. "I too don't know, because when I drove your car from Nagaon to Guwahati it was not too cold, but a couple of minutes before, I realized that we two didn't have our overwear put on, just a simple T-shirt." Jeetu shivered with cold as he spoke.
As soon as Jeetu completed saying, a cold current enough to bring Vinay's sensation geared his mental zone.
Vinay instantly stopped the car and put up the car's windows one by one. Since it was the old Maruti model, it lacks digital turn windows. Both of them put up the four analog windows one by one.
"Arey! I didn't felt a bit cold and now as I listened to your words, I am shivering.
"Consciousness ….. Vinay….. Consciousness.
Vasu tried to speak but he was numb stuck. He could listen, just listen. He tried to move but felt no sensation in his limbs.
The more he lost body consciousness the more he gained alertness. He lied like a corpse with superconsciousness. In Sanskrit, it's the Sava Asana(The corpse Posture).
He could hear every word spoken by Vinay and Jeetu. He could hear the tires scratching on the road as the car moved. He could even hear the vibrations of the screws of the different parts of the car.
Jeetu knows Vasu from his very childhood. He used to take Vasu and his sister to movies in their father's absence. He was more attached to the Kaushik family than Vinay. Vinay came to Guwahati out of compulsion just to Mr.
Kaushik's words.
Unlike other days Jeetu was totally in a festive mood. Is he trying to make things normal or controlling his anger at the attitude of Vinay?
"Vinay, Vasu is really good, I have known him since he was a child,...…why don't you speak a single word?"
"But it takes no time for a simple, good guy to turn into a one unacceptable for the whole family."
"SSSSSs Please keep silent Vinay." Jeetu turned around and checked if Vasu heard those words.
"Arey fog....all fog!" Jeetu started once again.
"All white light," chuckled Jeetu.
As Jeetu shouted the words "white light", Vasu looked through the window. The car crossed a railway track and on the right side, a big factory was shining brightly with halogens.
Everything seemed new for Vasu. He spoke within himself, "I think, a new era has started, the tungsten filament bulb will not be used anymore, it will be replaced by the CFLs."
But Vasu was surprised by Jeetu's behavior throughout the whole journey. The memories of past days faded but the elusiveness remained in the tunnels of his internal core.